Why Are College Professors So Different in Their Policies and the Way They Teach?

Why Are College Professors So Different in Their Policies and the Way They Teach?

Introduction:

    I am in my third year of college, so I have experienced a wide variety of different class structures, professor policies, and other situations. One thing that I think about often is how varied these professors' policies are and how they handle their classes. Before I give a deeper explanation of what I've been experiencing and give examples of class situations I have been in, I would like to say that none of the following teaching strategies are inherently bad or good. I am just objectively analyzing what went well for me with these different teaching strategies as I try to figure out why professors vary in course structure so much. 

Initial Thoughts:

    I remember that when I started college, I was nervous about how hard the coursework would be or how strict the teacher was going to be. I'm sure a lot of freshmen have those same thoughts when signing up for their first semester of classes. I have experienced an extremely wide range of teaching strategies and schedules that I have had to mold my week around to make time for each professor's timeline. I have had in-person, online, and hybrid classes. I have had classes where TAs or even AI grade my homework. I have had classes where group work is required, and ones where it's all solo work. I think the biggest issue with professors having widely varying teaching strategies is the number of new online platforms you need to either purchase or learn how to use for each class. For example, I have had to learn how to use McGraw-Hill, Second Nature, Point Solutions, STATA, Aleks, Blogger, Persuall, and Marketing homework websites. That's not to mention that I have had to download and deal with the technical difficulties of two different types of lockdown browsers for different classes, Respondus and Honor Lock.  

Teaching Strategies:

    Many professors utilize slides for each chapter to cover material during lectures. However, I have also had classes where the lectures are either prerecorded or handwritten. Almost all classes will have an online textbook that I have utilized to learn more of a class's content in context. I have experience with in-person Scantron exams, online proctored exams, on-paper exams, and basically anything in between. I have had classes that allow open-note tests and ones that don't even allow your laptop to be open during class. Professors' policies pertaining to exams can vary greatly, so it's important to understand what each class's exam structure is like well before test day. Another thing that is different for each professor is their late work policy, and whether they allow extra credit or not. I have had some professors who allow late work for a specific percentage of points deducted for each day it is late, and some classes where no late work is accepted. 

     Extra credit is an interesting topic. This semester, I am taking a class where extra credit is handed out like it's candy for Halloween. Only five weeks into the semester, and I already have 72 extra credit points. Our first of three exams for the semester is 100 points each! I've already made up enough extra credit points that I wouldn't even need to take the exam. Some professors are lenient with students at the end of the semester about extra credit opportunities, and some do not allow any adjustments to the students' final grade because that wouldn't be fair to the rest of the students. Personally, I enjoy extra credit opportunities, and I think that all professors should consider adding some opportunities for extra points into their policy.

Reasons for Differences:

The biggest reason for the variability in professors' teaching strategies and policies is due to the academic freedom they are given as instructors. Professors have more freedom to design their courses, their grading methods, and their teaching styles compared to high school teachers. Many professors' teaching philosophy reflects experiences they had as students, which is why you may see a lot of older, more traditional professors still use paper exams. Their past experiences can shape their views on learning: strict attendance vs. flexibility, hard deadlines, or a growth mindset. Their field of study and institutional expectations also play a role in how their classes are structured. A chemistry lab class might have a lot more hands-on projects compared to a college English class. Each professor's personalities also play a huge role in how they handle situations and structure the course. In my experience, energetic professors tend to have more of a laid-back homework and exam schedule compared to more formal professors.

How Can Students Adapt?

Being able to adjust my learning strategies for each class has been a challenge all on its own. I have finally gotten to a point in my college experience where I can take 19 credits and still be able to handle each class's unique structure. I recommend truly reading each class's syllabus more than once and throughout the semester to always be aware of what each teacher expects of you and when assignments are due. If something about the professor's policy or class structure is still not making sense, make sure to ask questions and get clarification on what is expected. While it can be frustrating, it can also make your college experience less monotonous and filled with more variety, which even enriches education. I think that learning how to adapt to each new class is as important as the subject itself. 

Farewell Notes:

Have you had experiences where the teacher's class structure did not make sense? How were you able to adapt to unique class structures? That's all for this week. Thanks for stopping by!